Bonitasoft has forged a path to pioneer successful remote work policies
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern work, Bonitasoft has embarked on a remarkable journey to adapt and thrive in the era of remote work. Charlotte Adams, Vice President of People, provides an insightful look into the company’s transition from traditional office settings to embracing a fully remote workforce.
Beginnings in 2014
Bonitasoft was founded in 2009 and began, like many other companies, with a traditional office work environment. “Initially, we were 100% in-person,” recalls Charlotte. “We had offices in Grenoble, Paris, and San Francisco.” Most of its employees were managers and software engineers, and the company’s notable in-office work culture of communication and collaboration developed quickly.
In 2014, responding to employee requests, Bonitasoft introduced remote work one day a week.
“We are committed to transparency and trust. We agreed to try it out to see what it would bring.”
- Charlotte Adams, VP of People at Bonitasoft
The shift in 2019
The experiment yielded impressive results, prompting Bonitasoft to embrace full work-from-where-you-are flexibility for its approximately 70 employees in 2019. “Employees could work from home as much as they wanted, while the company continued to maintain our offices. Any employee could come in every day or never, except as needed for team meetings,” Charlotte explains. This shift also addressed a critical recruitment issue, as the company no longer had to restrict its search and hiring to just three geographical locations.
The impact of the pandemic in 2021
The Bonitasoft remote work story took a significant turn as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped work habits worldwide. “In Grenoble, before COVID, about 80% of employees came in four days a week,” Adams notes. “In Paris and San Francisco, it was the opposite—the offices were always empty.”
In 2021, Bonitasoft conducted a survey to understand employee preferences. The results were clear: employees in Paris and San Francisco saw no need to keep the central offices, while those in Grenoble felt that having an office was still important. Consequently, Bonitasoft decided to close the Paris and San Francisco offices, retaining only the office in Grenoble.
There, about fifteen employees regularly work in a well lighted, spacious 600 m² open space. “It is a central gathering place as much as an office,” Charlotte says. “We bring all employees together, from wherever they work, three times a year for several days.”
Formalizing remote work in 2022
By early 2022, Bonitasoft took the next step by formalizing a 100% remote work policy. “It doesn’t change much, actually,” Charlotte points out. “Our employees are now spread across France. While we no longer have anyone in the United States, we have more employees in Canada and Spain.” Charlotte herself began working from her home in the Ardeche.
Charlotte talks about her position as VP of People and about Bonitasoft in this video
Looking ahead to 2025
The next phase of Bonitasoft’s structural evolution is set for 2025. “We surveyed employees to find out what they expect from an office and realized that the space needs to be redesigned for collaboration,” says Charlotte. Working with an architect, the executive team found new premises that are currently under construction, and the company plans to move in early 2025. “It’s an exciting time for us,” Adams concludes.
Bonitasoft’s journey underscores the dynamic nature of work environments and highlights the importance of adaptability and employee-centric policies in navigating the future of work.
